


Hands Four

by Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Dancing, F/F, F/M, Flirting, Multi, Other, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 14:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16662947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw/pseuds/Turn_of_the_Sonic_Screw
Summary: In which Clara and Ashildr go dancing with River and the Doctor. No, not that kind of dancing. No, not that kind of dancing, either. Well, not yet, anyway.





	Hands Four

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by imaginary_golux & infinite_regress

“You sure about this?” Clara asked as they entered the dance hall.

“Absolutely,” Ashildr promised. “Goddess knows we need the exercise. And your therapist said you needed to work on things being out of your control.” Clara was not convinced. “And it’s the style of dancing that Jane Austen would have done.”

“I can’t believe you used my historical girl crush against me,” Clara groused. “Fine, you win. But I reserve the right to leave if this is terrible.”

“You’ll have fun,” her significant other promised her. “I used to do this all the time. My dad used to take me to this historical reenactment group and we’d dance.” Their lip curled. “They used to make me dance the female role all the time.”

“Ah.” Clara merely noted this and moved on. She knew just enough about Ashildr’s history to know that they had had Issues growing up with some of her family members, though they seemed to have patched things up with their father. “Mustn’t have been all bad, though.”

“No,” Ashildr agreed, and bowed to Clara. “May I have this dance?”

“Absolutely!” Clara grinned and took their hand as the caller, an oddly familiar woman in purple, urged them to line up. They were facing a couple just on the older side of middle-aged. Well, Clara thought, at least some of the other dancers were easy on the eyes. She shared a quick glance with Ashildr to confirm that they shared her opinion of the couple who the caller informed her were their neighbors, then introduced herself.

“I’m River, and this is John. And don’t ogle; it doesn’t suit you.”

Clara’s jaw dropped open, but Ashildr rose to defend her. “Mind you, those heels won’t suit you. Not for this dancing, anyway. Though I suppose you’ll find out for yourself during the walkthrough.”

“I tried to tell you,” muttered John. “I am occasionally right, you know.”

“I know,” River agreed, eyes atwinkle (inflaming Clara’s crush). “It suits you.”

“And you,” he replied. “You make that ‘he’s so hot when he’s clever face.’”

“I keep telling you, that’s just my normal face.”

“That’s true,” he purred.

“Please tell me there’s going to be mood lighting. To go with that accent. Or, frankly, those curls.” If they were going to banter, Clara decided, she was going to almighty flirt.

“Quiet, puppy,” interrupted the caller. “Some of us are trying to dance.”

“Oh, no,” Clara groaned, realizing why she had looked familiar. “Missy.”

“We used to date,” Missy clarified. Just as Clara thought she was about to get off easy, she continued: “Expect she didn’t recognize me with clothes on.” The quip earned her snorts from the rest of the group. “That’s no excuse for you, John. Or you, River.” She winked broadly. “But seriously, balance the ring, and petronella twirl to the right, and do it again.”

They clasp hands, step in, step out, and twirl over their right shoulders, twice in a row. “I’m feeling a bit left out,” Ashildr quipped.

“Not missing much,” Clara whispered to her. John and River opted for restrained eye-rolls.

Not hearing them, Missy instructed the group to swing their neighbors. “Like this,” John explained, hand on her shoulder. “And just keep your eyes on me.”

“Bit much of yourself?”

“No, it just keeps you from getting dizzy.”

“How many times will we be doing this again?”

“Probably about one and a half times through the set, so be ready to dance for a while.”

“Good to know,” Clara replied before locking eyes with River and circling around her, which felt...surprisingly sultry. Though Clara thought that River could probably make eating a chicken salad sandwich look sultry. She broke eye-contact and moved across the set to Ashildr, who pulled her close and swung her about. “Okay, this is nice,” Clara admitted.

“And not just because you want to invite our neighbors over for a drink afterward?” Ashildr asked as they circled three places to the left. “Because we’re not going to spend the whole dance with them.”

“Of course not,” Clara said, and let Ashildr twirl her under her arm to their new set of neighbors, who were not nearly so interesting. “Though they help. This was a good idea.”

**Author's Note:**

> The dance they walk through is Heartbeat Contra, by Don Flaherty.


End file.
